Mets lose deGrom, game, top spot in NL East

The Mets spent much of this winter bulking up their depth. They added to their lineup, pushing former regular contributors into supporting roles. They beefed up their bullpen, creating competition at the back end. They even signed a starting pitcher, adding to their already admirable depth in that area.

But the one thing Mets officials knew they could not insure themselves against was an injury to one of their top two pitchers. Noah Syndergaard’s five-month absence proved that last season, becoming a key factor in the Mets’ summer-long troubles.